Morgan's story
Morgan was only 25 years old when she was diagnosed with bone cancer, and it wasn’t so obvious at first as there were no symptoms other than a large bump on her leg. She originally thought the bump was swollen from hitting her leg on her bedframe and waited a while to let the swelling go down.
After four weeks, the bump was still there, and Morgan felt she should do something about it – but she was reluctant. What else could it be besides pesky swelling? Ultimately, Morgan opted to schedule an appointment with a Prevea family medicine resident physician.
At the Prevea Family Medicine Residency Program in Green Bay, resident physicians provide every day medical care for patients of all ages, including physicals, sick visits and other types of routine care at Prevea Shawano Avenue Health Center. The program is Green Bay’s only family medicine residency program and is known for getting patients in quick – oftentimes, the same day.
During the visit, the resident physician looked at the bump and brought in other available physicians to assess the situation and provide a second opinion without Morgan having to schedule another appointment. Many very real possibilities were being discussed, including cancer. Despite the possibility of cancer looming over her head, Morgan says the attitude of the doctors and the care they offered made her feel safe.
“I felt very held in that space,” reflected Morgan. “Not scared with possibilities but informed and not kept in the dark. I really respected the transparency, especially when they brought up the possibility of cancer.”
While nothing conclusive could be decided at that appointment, the resident physician did everything she could to get Morgan answers. By the end of the appointment, the next steps were clearly laid out: an X-ray of Morgan’s leg followed by additional scans. The X-ray happened later that same day, and while nothing new was found, it was still one step closer to answers and a diagnosis.
Morgan went in for an MRI scan five days later, which revealed a bone lesion. The lesion is often a sign of bone cancer. In Morgan’s case, evidence pointed toward sarcoma. Her resident physician worked fast, helping Morgan to immediately find the best specialty care possible. Morgan’s diagnosis revealed a specific type of bone cancer called periosteal osteosarcoma.
After a successful surgery, Morgan was declared cancer-free. She spent three months at home in recovery, ensuring that her leg healed properly. But shortly after, she was able to continue with her life by getting married, moving to Germany, and traveling all over Europe. She has not felt limited in her ability to explore!
While this is by no means the end of her journey, Morgan can look back and recognize how taken care of she’s been throughout her experience. From the initial appointments to the surgery to the aftercare.
“[My resident physician] was the first professional to offer me care and expertise along this journey,” says Morgan. “She made it easy to keep moving forward when things were scary and unknown.”
After four weeks, the bump was still there, and Morgan felt she should do something about it – but she was reluctant. What else could it be besides pesky swelling? Ultimately, Morgan opted to schedule an appointment with a Prevea family medicine resident physician.
At the Prevea Family Medicine Residency Program in Green Bay, resident physicians provide every day medical care for patients of all ages, including physicals, sick visits and other types of routine care at Prevea Shawano Avenue Health Center. The program is Green Bay’s only family medicine residency program and is known for getting patients in quick – oftentimes, the same day.
Fast and accurate care
The resident physician was able to see Morgan within a week of making the appointment. Morgan was apprehensive about the appointment for multiple reasons, such as never being seen by the resident physician before and still assuming the bump was a minor issue.During the visit, the resident physician looked at the bump and brought in other available physicians to assess the situation and provide a second opinion without Morgan having to schedule another appointment. Many very real possibilities were being discussed, including cancer. Despite the possibility of cancer looming over her head, Morgan says the attitude of the doctors and the care they offered made her feel safe.
“I felt very held in that space,” reflected Morgan. “Not scared with possibilities but informed and not kept in the dark. I really respected the transparency, especially when they brought up the possibility of cancer.”
While nothing conclusive could be decided at that appointment, the resident physician did everything she could to get Morgan answers. By the end of the appointment, the next steps were clearly laid out: an X-ray of Morgan’s leg followed by additional scans. The X-ray happened later that same day, and while nothing new was found, it was still one step closer to answers and a diagnosis.
Morgan went in for an MRI scan five days later, which revealed a bone lesion. The lesion is often a sign of bone cancer. In Morgan’s case, evidence pointed toward sarcoma. Her resident physician worked fast, helping Morgan to immediately find the best specialty care possible. Morgan’s diagnosis revealed a specific type of bone cancer called periosteal osteosarcoma.
Continual support
As Morgan prepared for surgery to have the cancer removed, she had one more appointment with her resident physician. The visit was a mix of physical and mental health care, as the checkup was on Morgan’s body, mind and spirit the day before she underwent her procedure: a radical tibial resection.After a successful surgery, Morgan was declared cancer-free. She spent three months at home in recovery, ensuring that her leg healed properly. But shortly after, she was able to continue with her life by getting married, moving to Germany, and traveling all over Europe. She has not felt limited in her ability to explore!
While this is by no means the end of her journey, Morgan can look back and recognize how taken care of she’s been throughout her experience. From the initial appointments to the surgery to the aftercare.
“[My resident physician] was the first professional to offer me care and expertise along this journey,” says Morgan. “She made it easy to keep moving forward when things were scary and unknown.”